At home and my office at home
The last DIY-project in phase 3 of Covid 19 in SA resulted in the upgrade (painting) of my home office where I spent most of my waking hours during the day in lockdown in 2020.
When I started to fix a small cement crack on the wall of my home office I realized that there were more work than I have imagined. The walls were literally covered with layers of old paint which came loose from the wall when we started to sand the filled two cracks in the wall. Getting a smooth wall would not be that easy unless I was willing to remove all the paint and fill the cracks and start with a next undercoat and top layer of paint again. That was too boring!
I then decided to remove literally all the paint up to the last layer and to keep the filled cracks and rough plaster patches as it was after the stripping of the layers of paint. I presume upgrading an old house is like surfing … you have to follow the curve of the wave.
I have lightly sanded and cleaned this one wall in the room and then my daughter and I used old (terracotta) roof paint and two kitchen sponges to form red bricks on the almost bare wall. This now look like the amateur building project which frames the window and look on the succulent garden just outside my home office.
The window is facing the private backyard so I keep it mostly open to have enough sunlight as well when I pretend to be on the ball in front of my desk at my home office.
ONTHOU OM TE ONTHOU
Time to remember…
A few letters from my years as a student and cards/ notes from my children in the primary school years, special birthday cards and special (print) email letters from my husband were folded to fit light weight frames where I can see (part of) these messages that fill my heart with warmth.
A few of Daniel and Comien’s first art work in the primary school years hangs above the small bookshelf with the children books I have often read to my children when they were growing up. The books are kept here because they have out grow them now in their twenties, but they hold special memories for me and them.
RUS EN VREDE IN ‘n LAAI?
Peace and quiet in a drawer?
A home office is what it is, work space at home.
My study is small but private and not merely an office space but also a space where I can read quietly in the sunny spot in the window.
I keep all kinds of material I use to craft at home also in my home office and therefor the old library filing cabinet (before Google) comes in handy to keep my things at hand.
GENADE EN NOSTALGIE IN CRIMPLENE
Grace meets nostalgia
My home office is room full of nostalgia where my grandmother’s patch work quilt (the result of the crimplene material scraps from dresses my mother and aunts wore around 1965) and comfort pillow she made in the middle 80’s cover an extra bed just in case we have many family or friends visiting at the same time OR when you need a power nap at the office.
This very old iron bed does not have an impressive head rest but I could fix all the crosses I have received the last 20 years (as part of gift wrapping, Christmas decorations or when a friend has seen that I needed some encouragement) with fish line or ribbon on an old curtain rod above the bed rest. This add some visible “Grace” to ensure a good rest.
‘n Leesstoel moet knus sit
Comfortable seating allows for good reading
One of my many excuses to move around furniture is that grown-up children sometimes take some furniture with when moving out which provides for the opportunity to have a new look at your old furniture. I also wanted a comfortable chair for reading in my study at home without buying new furniture. The arm rests of my heavy ball and claw chairs were ‘dressed‘ in soft bed cushions and one was covered with a thin bedspread and patch work cushion for a head rest and the other one covered with grandmother’s hand made quilt to provide the soft and comfy feeling I wanted when reading in my study at home.
